1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic golf tee device of the type that would be used at golf driving ranges. More particularly, the invention is a portable semiautomatic golf tee mechanism that may be conveniently moved from one location to another. In operation, it feeds a series of golf balls to a tee from which they may be driven by the golfer. Thus it is unnecessary for the golfer to manually place a ball on a tee after each drive as is conventional in most golf practice driving ranges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic golf tee's exist and are found at some driving ranges. Such devices may be categorized as underground and aboveground type depending on the location of the golf ball feeding mechanism. The aboveground supply type of device is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,515 of Mozel. This type of mechanism in which the ball supply is aboveground and exposed has various disadvantages including that of being distractive to the golfer. Further, the aboveground track that directs the balls is subject to being inadvertently impacted or hit because of its exposure aboveground alongside of an area of golf ball driving activity.
Other devices employ the underground ball supply which are usually deep into the ground where the balls follow a path to a point where they are brought onto the golf tee when the device is actuated by the golfer. Disadvantages of this type of device is that it requires excavation of the area and resulting difficulty of locating and relocating to other places. This type of device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,295,599 of Mozel, No. 3,294,402 of Scott, No. 3,423,097 of Fry, and No. 2,966,213 of Bradley.
These Prior Art Devices have additional drawbacks as, for example, the arrangement for adjusting the height of the tee. On some such devices, the tee height is changed by replacing the tee with one of a different height which, of course, is a cumbersome manner of height adjustment. On other prior devices, the height adjustment is not known until after full cycle of the device, that is the user cannot adjust the height of the tee up and down while the machine is not being used.
It is to these and other disadvantages of the prior art devices that the present invention is directed.